The start is just that. Everything begins. When a horse comes to me I will check them out through everything that I will need them to do for me, right from having me (the human) around them, to riding and being guided in speed and direction by me. I make sure that I have things working to my advantage before I get on an un-started horse, so may spend some time on the ground ahead of riding. Key to the process is that the horse accepts what is happening, rather than just tolerating it. A horse taught to tolerate can change his minds, those taught to accept carry on that way.

Foundation is about being consistent in everything that they do. It is the toolkit that the horse will need to move on into their working life. A basic foundation is pretty much the same for all horses, whatever job they are destined for. Although I would always make sure that the work I did in foundation would prepare the horse for the life they will lead.

A horse destined to be hacked out by a relatively inexperienced rider, needs to be confident out and about and if their rider looses balance. I would still teach them how to collect and move in self carriage with elevation,

but I may spend less time doing this than I would with a horse that was going to spend a lot of time doing dressage. Similarly, I would still teach the dressage horse to be confident riding out on a hack. I also include the day to day life of a horse like stable manners, grooming, foot work, leading, mounting, being tied, loading, rugs, clipping etc. Each individual horse will decide how long it takes to get to this point. At the beginning of the process I will discuss the expectations of the owner and give feedback on where their horse is in moving towards this.

The length of time that a horse is with me will depend on when the rider is able to take over the development process from me. I will provide advice and recommendations on how to continue progressing.

Re-schooling & Rehabilitation

Horses that get into trouble in their ridden work or handling, and develop problems, often miss a vital chunk of education or lack acceptance of their role. This hole in their development can show itself as a minor irritation, or a dangerous behaviour. The work of re-schooling and rehabilitation is to find these missing pieces and re-educate the horse to accept their life and work so they are able to reach their full potential. An essential part of the process is that the owner also remodels their own behaviour to help their horse to maintain the changes that they have made.

Private Lessons

I teach individuals and small groups on their own horses. These sessions are designed around the needs for you and your horse. I am happy to deal with specific issues and problems, or over a period of visits, help you to fix up holes in your horse' and your own foundation to allow you to progress and reach your full potential together.